For the first time, emergency release blood will be available for patients being airlifted to hospitals on the Gulf Coast.

Last week Life Flight helicopters started carrying blood along with them on all emergency calls. Life Flight covers Mobile County, parts of South Mississippi and the Pensacola area.

“The leading cause of death in trauma patients is blood loss,” said Ben Hughes, a flight nurse. “We can go ahead and give you this emergent release blood in the event that you are suffering life-threatening hemorrhage and this will help increase a positive outcome.”

Life Flight is partnering with LifeSouth who provides the Blood. Each flight will carry two units of O-positive and plasma.